Return of daily air service to Valley now on the radar

There’s a glimmer of hope today that the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport will have daily commercial airline service in the foreseeable future after a 13-year lull. Why use the word “glimmer” when the federal government seems to have given a vote of confidence to Aerodynamics Inc.?

The simple answer is there’s a 14-day public comment period about the proposal for daily flights between Youngstown Regional and Chicago O’Hare International during which anything could happen.

Given the controversy that has surrounded ADI’s plans since they were unveiled about 18 months ago, we believe caution is advised. Granted, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s order that the airline company is “fit, willing and able” to begin the daily service is a sea change from the federal government’s evaluation of ADI in January.

At that time, Aerodynamics of Beachwood, Ohio, and Atlanta, Ga., was all but dismissed by the Transportation Department as not having the “managerial competence necessary” or the “proper compliance disposition and regard for the laws and regulations governing its service.”

Then, in April, the federal agency demanded a load of information from the company as part of the government’s fitness and safety check before it would be approved for operation of scheduled interstate passenger service.

There had been anonymous postings on the Internet questioning the air worthiness of some of the airplanes, but as Dan Dickten, director of aviation at the airport in Vienna, noted at the time, the federal government had not questioned the safety of the aircraft.

Indeed, last week, in its preliminary report on ADI, the Department of Transportation said the Federal Aviation Administration investigated safety issues and did not find a cause for concern.

The DOT order said “the FAA advises it has no objection” to the department allowing ADI to begin Youngstown service.

As for the 14-day public comment period, the government said “If no substantive objections are filed, we will issue an order that will make final our tentative findings and conclusions.”

Dickten certainly has reason for optimism given that comment and also the transportation department’s praise of the company’s management team.

“In view of the experience and background of the applicant’s key personnel, we tentatively concluded that ADI has demonstrated that it has the management skills and technical ability to conduct its proposed [Youngstown] services,” the DOT said.

That statement stands in sharp contrast to comments made by the federal government about the former owner of Aerodynamics Inc., Scott Beale.

In the midst of being investigated by the federal government, Beale sold the company to ADI Acquisition Co., which is owned by Portland, Ore., real estate developer John Beardsley and his wife, Janet, in July of this year.

The Beardsleys also own 80 percent of Seaport Airlines of Portland, which does business as Wings of Alaska.

POSSIBLE TURBULENCE

Though the new owners don’t have the same heavy baggage that Beale was carrying when he owned ADI, some issues still could undermine Youngstown service.

For one thing, there is a lawsuit pending against the Beardsleys’ real-estate company. For another, there are two pending FAA investigations against SeaPort. In July 2015, a Wings of Alaska/SeaPort Cessna carrying four passengers and a pilot crashed. One person was killed.

An adverse finding could prompt the Department of Transportation to reexamine ADI’s ability to provide daily service in Youngstown.

Thus, our reluctance to declare that it’s a done deal.

The port authority is offering a $1.2 million revenue guarantee to ADI to ensure that it makes a profit during the startup phase of service. The plan is to have 10 round trips per week on a 50-seat Embraer aircraft.

The airline currently has two such planes and would lease a third for the Youngstown-Chicago service.

It is important to note that the two-week public comment period is an opportunity for supporters of daily commercial airline service, in particular, and the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, in general, to be heard.

The Department of Transportation wants to know if its preliminary order should become final. ADI will have seven days to respond to the comments.

We have long supported the airport and have often touted the value of daily air service. We believe a majority of the residents of the Mahoning Valley share our opinion. They should lend their voices to the ADI proposal.